The Work of Christmas

I understand that the winter holidays can be very difficult for people, but for me, every moment and tradition around Christmas is meaningful and magical.  I long for Christmas to come each year and revel in the moments of ritual, family time, inner reflection, and stillness.  I want it to go on and on.  So, I often feel a deep grief when it is time to take the Christmas tree down and put the decorations away.  For two or three weeks I have sat in front of the tree, gazing at the glowing lights, the shining ornaments, noticing all of the memories that have accumulated there.  It brings peace and stillness for me.  The tree becomes like an altar for my prayers.  I am NEVER ready to take it down and have it to go away.  And yet it must be done.

This year I did the work very mindfully.  This was actually helped by the fact that between last Christmas and this Christmas we replaced our carpet with hardwood floors.  No longer could we drop any delicate ornaments and have a hope of them surviving.  Each fragile piece required my care and attention.  So, each ornament was removed lovingly and with gratitude for all of the gifts of Christmas, all of the gifts in my life and the hope that I would see all of these old friends in the shape of Christmas decorations again next year.

And what now?  Is Christmas over for another year?  Two thoughts arise.  One comes from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol of which I saw a terrific performance in Anchorage by the Perseverence Theater.  At the end of the play it is said of Scrooge that he “knew how to keep Christmas well”.  It seems clear that the author is not simply referring to the 12 days of Christmas but some way that Ebenezer carries that spirit throughout the whole year.  How is the energy and love of Christmas planted in my heart?  How do I carry it throughout the year?

My second thought came to me first through Facebook and then was reinforced in the sermon offered at my church on the Sunday following Christmas.  It is a poem from the theologian/poet/mystic Howard Thurman entitled The Work of Christmas.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.

The Christmas season is nearly passed, many of us have made our New Year’s resolutions to get in shape, lose weight, or break some habit.  Today, on the eve of Epiphany, I invite you to ponder or pray about how you will keep Christmas this year and how God’s love might be revealed through you in 2016.  For me, God is inviting me to the difficult work of Hope in the midst of so much strife, struggle and overwhelming odds. I am also invited to keep my eyes and heart open as I go about my daily life.  Who can I help?  How might I help?

Many blessings to you for 2016.  May it be a year of peace, love, and hope.

Rebecca

Here is a link to a beautiful musical benediction of the above poem if you would like to listen.

Please leave a comment or share with the community about how you will be keeping Christmas in 2016.